Humanitarian aid:

Canada offers 2.5bn to Cameroon

Compared to that of 2015, the aid shows an increase in absolute value of close to 1.25 billion FCFA and a 100% increase in relative value.

By EssanEkoninyam in Yaounde

Canada – Cameroon relations continue to bear enormous fruit. This year alone, Cameroon is receiving a colossal 2.5 billion FCFA as humanitarian aid from the Canadian government. The disclosure was made recently by the Canadian high commissioner to Cameroon, René Cremonese. Compared to that of 2015, the aid indicates an increase in absolute value of close to 1.25 billion FCFA and a 100% increase in relative value. The amount offered by Canada to Cameroon as humanitarian aid in 2015 was 1.25 billion FCFA.

                According to the Canadian diplomat, this money would help the Cameroon government to respond to its humanitarian needs. The areas that immediately come to mind is the Far North region where the government is grappling with several hundred thousands of displaced persons fleeing the repeated attacks by the Nigerian terrorist sect Boko Haram. There is as well the East region where thousands of Central African Republic nationals are taking refuge after the political crisis in that country.

                While announcing the aid in Yaounde, René Cremonese said it would help in the supply of food, potable water, and hygiene and health services as well as provide support in the treatment of malnutrition and the improvement of the means of subsistence for the guest population, the displaced persons and the refugees.

                In addition to humanitarian aid, Cameroon has also benefited from regional programmes of the International Committee of the Red Cross which the Canadian government will finance to the tune of 1.25 billion FCFA, still in 2016. The partners retained for this category of aid include organizations of the UN system, the UNHCR, the World Food Programme, CARE-Cameroon, the Red Cross, NGOs, etc.

                According to the Canadian High Commissioner, his country will offer humanitarian aid in this category worth FCFA 13.5 billon to all the countries of the Lake Chad Basin. This is within the framework of new supplementary finances announced by Marie-Claude Bibeau, the Canadian minister of International Development and the Francophonie, on 24 May 2013 on the occasion of the World Summit on Humanitarian Action which held in Istanbul, Turkey. On that occasion the minister announced the disbursement of more than 191 billion FCFA for the financing of immediate vital needs and the management of other humanitarian challenges that the world is facing.

                From a more global perspective, the Canadian government has as goal to come to the aid of the most vulnerable persons in 32 countries through support given to 25 humanitarian partners that intervene in complex situations of humanitarian crises, particularly in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Their concern, as stated by the minister, is women and girls who are the most vulnerable persons in times of crisis.

                Furthermore, Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau made public the availability of a total 150 billion FCFA as humanitarian aid and development, meant particularly for emergency interventions, for the protection of children and for food security.

                Finally she did not mince her words when she reiterated that each franc disbursed would be accounted for as they will put in place mechanisms for strict control and supervision.